Machine for forming plastic material.



W. Tl PRICE.

MACHINE POR FoIIMING PLASTIC MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED APE. 22.1907.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

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W. T. PRIGEL.

MACHINE FOR PORMNG PLASTIC MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22.1907.

929,981. Patented Auga 3, 1909.

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W. T. PRICE. MAGHINE FOR PORMING- PLASTIC MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED A-PE. 22.1907.

929,98 1. Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM T. PRICE, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO INTERNATIONAL BRICK MACHINE COMPANY, OF BINGHAMTON, NEWYORK.

MACHINE FOR FORIMING PLASTIC IvIATERIAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

Application tiled April 22, 1907. Serial N0. 369,645.

fo all whom "it may concern:

5e it known that I, VILLIAM T. PRICE, a subjectof the King of GreatBritain, residing at lllheeling, in the county of Ohio and State of`West YVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMachines for Forming Plastic Material, of

which the following is a specification, ref- 2 erence being had thereinto the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to' machines for forming' plastic material, andthe invention relates more particularly to a machine for forming bricksand similar blocks.

The invention has for its object to provide a novel machine both strongand compact and of few parts, wherein positive and reliable means areemployed for effecting a perfect formation of plastic material, anddelivering same onto the pallet without abrasion.

T he machine is designed to automatically manipulate the upper and lowerplungers, the mold, molded material and pallets, during the' completecycle. To this end, I have lesigned a machine wherein the filling isconsummated by horizontal intermittent-ly reciprocating mold.

ln connection with the mold, l use a Set of upper plungers and a set oflower plungers, both arranged to move vertically with .'aryingintermittent, yet constricted, motions; the motion being such however',that it is in a downward direction until the material has been formed,and stripped from the mold, after which function the return motionoccurs. In connection with the above mentioned forming and st ippingmechanism l use a pallet magazine from which pallets are regularlyejected by the mold. y a cv'mveying attachment the pallets arepositioned to receive the molded material and then together with thcburden are automatically removed from that position.

I-leretofore machines have been used wherein the molds were stationaryor vertically reciprocated, the filling being accomplished by ahorizontally moved mold filler, the stripping performed by an upwardmotion of the plungers. in some cases combined with the motion of themold, and the pallets manually inserted or fed to the machine. Thesemachines require large parts in order that the motion be sufficient toraise the upper plnngers high enough to admit the additional mold fillerbetween the mold and upper puingers, and in some cases the formedmaterial is damaged by horizontally sliding onto the pallet. Again inmany cases the mold filler encounters excessive resistance throughsliding on metal while loaded, the plastic material adhering to thesurfaces. These machines generally require considerable attention andaccuracy upon the part ofan operator to accomplish the best results.

@ther machines have been constructed wherein the material is pressedupon the pallet and then removed thereon, but this method has two welldeiined defects. First, the pressure cannot be made sufficient to formperfect shapes because the pressure must be Vendured by the pallets.These pallets being usually made of wood, the necessary pressure wouldcause the pallets to become indented or split. Secondly, as the junctionof the pallet and the bottom of the mold space usually admits ofmaterial escaping, thus creating a lin (leaving imperfect edges on thelower surface of the material) and further being then in the lowestposition in the mold, the formed material is not subjected to thatwiping or smoothing action that a longer travel through the smooth moldalfords.

In designing my improved machine, I have abolished the mold liller withits attendant evils. I have made the motion of my plungers downwardwhile stripping the `molded material from the mold, and have providedmeans for the automatic feed of the pallets. I have aimed to produce asimple and eiicient mechanism for positively prod ucing and ejectingperfectly formed material without the close attention of an operator,the'machine to all intents and purposes being practically automatic.

The detail construction entering into my invention will be hereinaftermore fully described and then specifically pointed out in the appendedclaims, and referring to the drawing formingpart of this specificationlike numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views, in which Figure l is a side elevation of my improvedmachine, Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, Fig. 3 is a rearelevation of the machine with the pallet magazine removed,

ing mechanism, Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of a portion of thesaine, Fig. 6 is a l detail sectional view of the machine, illustratingthe mold filled with plastic material and closing the hopper containingthe mag terial, F 7 is a similar view illustrating the upper plungersentering the mold to, compress the material therein, Fig. 8 isa gsimilar view illustrating the withdrawal of the lower pluiigers and thepartial depression of the molded material by the upper plungers and theposition of a pallet beneath the formed material, Fig. 9 is a siinig larview illustrating the manner in which the formed material is ejectedfrom the mold and carried forward upon the pallets, Fig.

1() is a similar view illustrating the lower f plungers and the upperplungeis returning to their normal position, and the mold ready to berefilled, Fig. 11 is a similar view illustrating the mold in a shiftedposition beneath the material hopper, and ejecting a pallet from thepallet magazine, Fig. 12 is a l perspective view of a portion of thepallet magazine. v

To put my invention into practice, I construct iny iiiipi'oved machineupon a T- sliaped base 1, the base carrying side frames 2 and 3connected at their upper ends as at 4. The side frames are slotted toprovide guide ways 5 and 6, the guide ways guiding the ends ofthe crosshead 7 inovably mounted between the frames 2 and 3, said cross headbeing provided with depending plungers 8 constituting the upper plungersof my improved machine. The cross head 7 is supported by i'ods 9 carriedby lower blocks 82 and cross shaft 10, said blocks be,- ing guided inthe guide ways 6. Connected to the cross shaft is a bifurcated togglelink 11, to which is pivotally connected, by a pin 12, the link 14, saidlink being pivotally held in the sockets 15 of a table 16, said tablehaving a rear extension 17 and outwardly extending guide blocks 18,Ysaid guide blocks engaging in the guide ways 6 of the frames 2 and 3.vThe mechanism employed for vertically reciprocating the table 16,consists of providing the leg 19 of the base 1 with two bearings 20, inwhich bearings is journaled a shaft 21. Upon the outer ends of the shaft21 are mounted cam wheels 22 and engaging the under side of said camwheels are roll-ers 23 revolubly mounted upon the ends of crank arms 24,cairied by a shaft iournaled transversely within the side frames 2 and3. The ends of the shaft 25 protrude beyond the side framesV and areprovided with crank arms 26, said arms being connected by pitinen 27 tothe guide blocks 18 of the table 16; It will thus be seen that when theshaft 21 is rotated, the table 16, toggles 11 and 14, rods 9, cross thead 7 and pl'ungers 8 will be slightly raised and lowered through themedium of the i cams shaft and pitnieii 27. 1 ,i T o move the cross head7 and the plungers l 8 independently of, or simultaneously with,

or relatively to the table 16, lA provide the cams 22 with wrist pins28, said pins being connected by bars 29 to t-lie pin 12 of the togglelinks 11 and 14. The movement of I the cross head 7 depends upon themotion of guide blocks 18 and also upon the movenient of the togglellinks 11 and 14. can therefore obtain motions for cross head "7different from guide blocks 18.

To drive the shaft 21, I mount upon the g saine a large spur wheel 30,said spur wheel meshing with a, small spur wheel 31 mounted upon a driveshaft 32 journaled in `bearings 33, carried by the side frames 2 and 3and the center bearings 20. The outer end of the shaft 32 is providedwith a pulley wheel 34, whereby the machine can be I driven from asuitable source of energy. i The frames 2 and 3 are provided with1nwardly extending brackets 35 upon which is slidably mounted a mold 36,said mold having a plurality of openings 37 formed therein which conformin shape to the article to be produced from kplast-ic material by myimproved machine. The mold is t normally located beneath the plungers 8,and is lprovided, with a rear extension 38 normally closing the lowerend of a hopper molded. The hopper 39 is supported by brackets-l0between the frames 2 and The mold is horizontally reciprocated by rods41 adjustably connected, as at 42,y to levers 43, said levers beingpivotally mounted, as at. 83 in the bearings 2O.` The levers 43 areprovided with rollers 44, said rollers engaging a cam 45, forming partof gear 30, located upon the shaft 21.y

39V is Va pallet magazine 47 containing pallets 48. The lower end of themagazine is `cut away and provided with brackets 49 adapted to supportthe pallets within the magazine.' Carried by the magazine is an inclinedchiite 50, forrdefiectingthe pallets rearward extension 38 of the mold36.

` To support the pallets 48 as they descend from the inclined chute andto carry said pallets forward beneath the mold 36 and lower the same atpredetermined times, I usea n ovel mechanism illustrated in Figs. 4 and5 of the drawings. The mechanism consists of two cross bars 51, havingdepending rods 52, supported by coiled springs 53 upon brackets 54,carried by the side frames 2 and 3. The lower ends of the rods 52 areprovided with nuts 55 to limit their upward movement. The bars 51 areprovided with grooves 56 for longitudinally disposed rails 39 adapted'to contain the material to beY Suitably secured, as at 46, to thehopperV 48 when moved from the magazine by the` ico 57 and 58, the rails57 being located upon the inner sides of the rails 58. The cross bars 51are providedl with depending pins 59 carrying nuts 60 upon their lowerends. The pins 59 pass through brackets 6l carried by the table 1G. Itis the function of said pins, nuts and brackets to draw downward thecross bars 51 and rails 57 and 58, together with the pallet and formedmaterial when said material has been forced from the mold, thusrelieving the pressure of said material against the top plunger,permitting the pallet to move forward.

The rails 58 are slotted, as at 62, and eX- tending through said slotsare pins 68 carried by the rails 57. Upon the ends of the pins G3 arejournaled rollers 64. Fastened to the rails 58 by pins 84 are therevoluble rollers 85, said rollers 64 and 85 engaging in thechannel-shaped ends 65 of arms G6, said arms being pivotally connectedas at (S7, to the side frames 2 and 8 of the machine. Journaled upon theinner sides of the arms 6G near their lower ends are rollers G8 adaptedto engage elliptical-shaped cams G9 mounted upon the shaft 82. The armsG6 are connected by coiled springs 70.

The rails 57 rest on the bars 5l in the slots 5G.l The rails 58 rest onthe strips '7l which in turn rest on the bars 51 in the slots 5G. Strips71 are provided with inclined surfaces 7 2. The rear ends of the strips7l are provided with revoluble rollers 73 adapted to engage in thechannel shaped ends 74 of levers 75, said levers being arranged upon theinner sides of the frames 2 and 3 and connected thereto as at 7 G. Theends of the levers are provided with revoluble rollers 77, said rollersengaging cams 78 mounted upon the shaft The levers 75 are held inengagement with the cams by coiled springs 79 attached to the sideframes 2 and 3. The function of the strips 7l with their inclinedsurfaces is to raise and lower rails 58 with respect to the rails 57,when said rails 58 are moving forward or rearward respectively. Totemporarily hold the pallets 48 while formed material is being placedupon the same l provide the inwardly extending brackets 35 with lugs 80,the pallets being lowered to clear these lugs when the formed materialis being removed from the machine.

Slidably n'iounted upon the table lt? and movable horizontally with themold 36 are plungers 8l, these plungers constituting the lower plungersof the machine and confornr ing in shape to the plungers 8 and theopenings 37 of the mold 3G.

ri`he operation of my improved machine can be readily understood byreferring to Figs. (3 to l1 inclusive in connection with Figs. l and i.The mold 3G is moved beneath the hoppe' 39 to receive material, thisbeing rods all, levers t3 and cams 45, The mold 86 when beneath thehopper has the lower ends of the openings 237 closed by the lowerplungers 8l resting upon the table 16. Then the mold has been removed tothis position, a pallet 48 is removed from the magazine. -t7 and allowedto descend upon the rails 57 and y58.where the pallet is supported andis moved forward by the successive strokes of the rails. On the forwardstrokes of the rails 57, rails 58 are dropped slightly below, throughthe operation of the inclined surfaces 72 of the strips 7l. lVhen theopenings 257 of the moldv have been filled the mold is moved forward tothe position illustrated in Fig. (3 of the drawings, the rearward eX-tension 38 closing the hopper 39, and the brackets 49 supporting thepallets 48 within the magazine t7. The upper plungers 8 are now actuatedto c nnpress the material within the mold 36, and immediately uponcompression, the table 1G is lowered suliciently to allow a pallet topass under tho mold 8G and engage the lugs 80, said pallet beingsupported by the rails 57 and 58. The table the rails 57 and and theupper plungers 8 are now actuated in unison, the plungers h force thecompressed or formed material from the mold 8G upon the pallet and therails 57 and 58 are forced downwardly by the descending' moldedmaterial. Friction of the brick on the upper plunger, due to thepressure from springs 58, prevents the pallet from moving forward assoon as the pallet clears lugs 80, but as soon as the material is freefrom the mold, lugs Gl enwith nuts GO, which are suitably adjusted andpull the bars 5l` rails 57 and 58 and the pallet with the formedmaterial free from the top plungers. The pallet is then moved forward byrails 57, 58, which are in constant reciprocation. lmmediatel)vfollowing this operation, the table 1G, rails 57 and 58 and plungers arereturned to their normal position illustrated in Fig. l0 of the drawingsand the mold is again ready to be moved backward to receive a freshsupply of material from the hopper The novel mechanism including thetoggle links ll andll and the cam actuated pitmen Q7 permit of the upperand lower plungers being moved in the manner just described. and throughthe medium of the cams Gf) and 78, together with the inclined surfaces72,

the rails 57 and 58 can be rhythmically actuated to carry the palletsforward.

My invention principally resides in the horizontally moving mold, thestripping operation whereby the formed material is removedfrom the moldby a downward niotion of the plungers, and the novel means .forautomatically removing a pallet from accomplished through the medium` ofthe l In order to use the horizontal-ly moving mold, I have found itnecessary to devise the movable table and plungers, and have einployednovel mechanism for insuring a positive cooperation of these parts. I amenabled by the novel construction of the machine to cha-iige the moldsand plungers without the loss of much time, and while I have hereindescribed and illustrated the preferred arrangement and mechanism forexpeditiously and economically molding bricks or blocks, I desire it tobe understood that such changes in the minor details of construction asare permissible by the appended claims, may be resorted to withoutdepartiiig from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a molding machine, the combination with a base plate, and slottedside frames carried thereby, of upper pluiigers movably mounted in saidframes, a table inovably mounted in said frames, pluiigers inovablysupported upon said table, a horizontally movable mold between saidplungers, a hopper normally closed by said mold, a pallet magazinecarried by said hopper, rails movably supported beneath said 'mold forsupporting and moving said pallets, means carried by said frames formoving said mold to simultaneously receive material from said hopper andmove a pallet from said magazine, means carried by said frame forraising and lowering said table and plungers, `and means for impartingan oscillating movement to said rails for moving said pallets.

2. In a molding machine, the combination of a frame, and a d-iiveiishaft journaled in said frame, movable pluiigers mounted in said frame,a table movably mounted in said frame, pluiigers inovably supported bysaid v table, a horizontally reciprocating mold mounted between saidplungers, a hopper carried by said frame, and normally closed by saidmold, a pallet magazine carried by said frame, movable rails arrangedbeneath said mold for supporting pallets, means actuated by said shaftfor raising said table and pluiigers, means actuated by said shaft toreciprocate said mold and simultaneously position the same for receivingmaterial from said hopper and removing a pallet from said magazine, andmeans carried by said frame for oscillating said rails to move saidpallets beneath said mold.

3. A machine of the type described consisting of side frames, pluiigersinovably mounted between said side frames, a table movably mountedbetween said side frames, plungei's movably mounted upon said table, ahopper carried by said frames, a pallet magazine cai'ried by saidhopper, a horizontally reciprocating mold adapted to nori mally closesaid hopper, means connecting with said mold to move the same forreceiving material from said hopper and removing pallets one at a timefrom said magazine, and mechanism located beneath said mold forsupporting said pallets and moving said pallets beneath said mold, andmeans to vertically reciprocate said table and plungers, all. of saidmeans being actuated from a common shaft journaled in said frames.

4. A machine of the type described consisting of side frames, verticallyreciprocating plungers arranged between said side frames, a horizontallyreciprocating mold mounted between said plungers and between said sideframes, a hopper carried by said frames and normally closed by saidmold, a pallet magazine supported by said hopper, and mechanism mountedbetween said frames beneath said mold for supporting pallets, means toactuate said mold for simultaneously receiving material from said hopperand removing pallets from said magazine, means for actuating saidmechanism to move pallets beneath said mold, and means to verticallyreciprocate said plungers.

5. In a concrete block forming machine, a horizontally reciprocatingmold-having an extension, a hopper for concrete located adjacent themold, the said extension of the mold constituting the bottom forrsaidhopper, vertically reciprocating upper plungers adapted to enter saidmold from above the saine, a vertically movable table, lower plungeissupported on said table to enter the mold from below the latter, apallet magazine supported in position with relation to said hopper andmold, so as to have the pallets stripped therefrom by the extension ofsaid mold, reciprocalole pallet-supporting and conveying means betweenthe mold and the table, and comprising two pairs of spring-supportedrails on which the pallet is received, means for elevating one pair ofsaid rails with respect to the other pair thereof insuring reciprocationof said rails, means for temporarily arresting the moveineiit of thepallet and holding the same positioned beneath the mold, and means fordeiressing the upper pluiigers simultaneously with the position of thepallet underneath the mold to force the molded block from the mold ontosaid pallet.

(3. In a concrete block forming machine, a horizontally reciprocatingmold having an extension, a concrete receiving hopper normally closed atthe bottom by the extension of said mold, a vertically reciprocatingupper plunger, a vertically movable table, a

lower plunger supported on said table, the Y said lower plungerconstituting the bottom of the mold during the pressing operation, apallet magazine disposed in position to have the pallets strippedtherefrom by the extension of said mold, a reciprocatingpallet-conveying means arranged between the mold andthe table, andcomprising two pairs of spring-supported rails on which the pallet isreceived, means for elevating one pair of said rails with respect to theother pair during reciprocation thereof, and means for operating saidplungers and said pallet-conveying means.

7. In a molding machine, the combination of a frame, upper plungersmovably mounted therein, a table movably mounted in said frame, plungerscarried by said table, a mold mounted between said plungers, and theupper plungers, a hopper carried by said frame and adapted to fill saidmold, means carried by said frame for compressing materia-l in said moldby a downward motion of said upper plungers, means for stripping themolded material from said mold by a further downward motion of saidupper plungers, a pallet located beneath said mold and adapted toreceive the molded material, and means for automatically moving saidpallet from beneath said mold.

S. In a concrete block forming means, a horizontally 'movable mold, avertically movable table arranged beneath said mold, a lower plungercarried by the table constituting a bottom for the mold when the tableis in the elevated position, a vertical reciprocatory plunger adapted toenter said mold from the top, pallet-conveying means arranged beneaththe mold, means for imparting reciprocatory movement to saidpalletconveying means, means for positioning pallets carried by saidpallet-conveying means underneath the mold and temporarily holding thesame in said position, and means for lowering the pallet-conveying meansas the table is lowered.

9. In a concrete block forming machine, the combination with ahorizontally reciprocating mold, and upper and lower plungers therefor,of pallet-conveying means comprising reciprocatory rails disposedbeneath the mold and supported for vertical movement toward and awayfrom the mold, and means for reciprocating said rails longitudinally toposition a pallet underneath the mold.

l0. In a molding machine of the type described, vertical reciprocatoryupper plungers, a vertically movable table, lower plungers carried bysaid table, a mold mounted between said plungers, means for elevatingthe table to position the lower plunger in the bottom of the mold andsimultaneously lowering the upper plunger to compress material withinthe mold between the upper and the lower plungers, means for effecting afurther downward movement of the upper plungers to strip the moldedmaterial from the mold and horizontall f-reci )rocable andvertically-movable pallet-supporting and conveying means between themold and the table, said means comprising two pairs of sp1mg-supportedrails reciprocable in um- ,son` means for elevating one pair of saidrails with respect to the other pair during reciprocation thereof.

Il. In a molding machine of the type described, a horizontallyreciprocating mold, an upper plunger mounted for vertical movement andadapted to enter said mold from the top thereof, a table arranged forvertical movement beneath the mold, a lower plunger carried by saidtable to enter said mold from the bottom thereof, means for operatingthe table to position the lower plunger in the bottom of the mold andautomatically lower the upper plunger to compress the material in themold between said upper and lower plunger, means for automaticallylowering the table to withdraw the lower plunger and simultaneously toeffect a further downward movement of the upper plunger to strip themolded material from the mold, and horizontally-reciprocable andverticallymovable pallet-supporting and conveying means between the moldand the table, said means comprising spring-supported rails on which thepallet is received, and means for elevating some of said railsindependently of the remainder of the rails.

l2. In a molding machine of the type described, two opposed verticallymovable plungers, a horizontally movable mold arranged between saidplungers, means for elevating the lower of said plungers to position thesame to form the bottom of the mold, and simultaneously lower the upperof said plungers to cause it to enter the mold, means acting to lowerthe lower mold and effect a further downward movement of the upper moldto strip the molded material from within the mold,horizontally-reciprocable and vertically movable pallet-supporting andconveying means between the mold and the table, said means comprising aplurality of spring-supported rails upon which the pallet is received,and means for elevating certain of said rails independently of theremainder of the rails.

. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

VILLIAM T. PRICE.

IVitnesses z MAX H. SRoLovITz, K. H. BUTLER.

